SANTA MONICA, Calif.,
Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/
-- Call of Duty: Black Ops II is almost
here. With little more than two weeks to go for one of the
most anticipated entertainment launches in history, Activision
Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard,
Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), today kicks things into high gear with the
release of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops II
live-action trailer helmed by visionary director Guy Ritchie and featuring Robert Downey Jr. The explosive :60 second
high-octane piece, titled "Surprise," will be unveiled on
network television in the U.S. tonight on Monday Night Football and
will rollout worldwide across high-profile telecasts including
elite European football matches.
Reflecting the global phenomenon that is Call of Duty®, a
franchise which appeals to both mass and enthusiast audiences,
several additional celebrity cameos round out the cast.
Omar Sy, one of France's top comedic actors, and a huge
Call of Duty fan in his own right, makes an appearance, and
core gaming fans will recognize Internet phenoms FPSRussia as well
as iJustine.
To support the launch blitz, Activision teamed up with Bad Robot
Interactive to release a Call of Duty takeover to Bad
Robot's mega-hit Action Movie FX app, which is a free
download available now on iPhone and iPad. The app enables
fans to film real world environments with their phones, only to
bring mayhem to them using Call of Duty: Black Ops II
near-future weaponry. Additionally, fans can use the scan
function in the app, to unlock and unleash exclusive new weapons
for use in the app from the upcoming game.
"With Call of Duty we are re-writing the rule-book of how
games are marketed. This is more than a product launch, it's
become a cultural event. And, what Treyarch has created this
year with Call of Duty: Black Ops II is nothing short
of the most innovative Call of Duty title yet," said
Tim Ellis, CMO, Activision
Publishing. "So our mission is to meet this creativity with
the most dynamic and far-reaching launch campaign we've ever
done. Everything we do is geared toward reaching our fans –
the best community in the world – to celebrate with them the launch
this November 13th."
This year, more than 15,000 retail outlets worldwide are
scheduled to open their doors at midnight on Tuesday, November
13. Additionally, Activision will support the game through a
global outdoor advertising campaign that will run in eight cities
and across more than 450 media placements around the world with
support from the media agencies OMD and MEC,
respectively.
Promotional partners in North
America include Xbox 360 and LG, as well as retail partners
Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target and Wal-Mart. Throughout
the campaign, Activision has worked with LA / Amsterdam based agency 72andSunny on overall
creative direction and The Ant Farm on a series of heart-pounding
gameplay trailers that have been viewed in the
millions.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II launches worldwide on
November 13, 2012, on the Xbox® 360
video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3
computer entertainment system, and Windows PC. The title is
also expected to be released in North
America on November 18, 2012, for the new Wii U™ game system
from Nintendo. Call of Duty: Black Ops II is
rated "M" (Mature – Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong
Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs – content suitable for
persons ages 18 and older) by the ESRB. More information on
Call of Duty: Black Ops II can be found at
http://www.callofduty.com/blackops2 or on
www.facebook.com/codblackops. Fans can also follow @Treyarch
on Twitter.
About Treyarch
Treyarch is an industry-leading game developer, wholly owned by
Activision Publishing, Inc. whose previous game Call of Duty:
Black Ops set an entertainment launch opening record upon its
release in 2010 and continues to be one of the best-selling games
of all time, according to NPD and GfK Chart-Track.
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica,
California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading
worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive
entertainment and leisure products.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United
Kingdom, France,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the
Netherlands, Australia,
South Korea, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and
its products can be found on the company's website,
www.activision.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Activision
Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about the expected
release date of November 13, 2012,
are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a
number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause
Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially
from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in
this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors
identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's
most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this
release are based upon information available to Activision
Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release,
and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes
any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may
ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not
guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or
Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and
other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause
actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, and CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS are
trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other
trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective
owners.
Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. Wii U is a trademark of Nintendo.
SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.